Edmonton coach John Muckler won`t compare his current team to those Oilers of the 1980s who won four Stanley Cups in the last six years. That`s because those other teams were incomparable.
”To me, with Paul Coffey and Wayne Gretzky, that was the greatest club to play in the NHL,” he said. ”We`ve not come close. But we`re in a new era. New leaders, new coaching. We have our own personality and are trying to become a good team.”
Divorcing Gretzky: Muckler said the Oilers started to separate themselves from Gretzky when he and Los Angeles beat them in seven games last season in the divisional playoffs.
”When they saw the joy on Wayne`s face, it started the separation,”
Muckler said. ”They realized then it`s a business and not a friendship. Wayne Gretzky is no longer a part of the Edmonton image.”
Easy win:The focus was on how badly the Hawks played in Game 1 Wednesday in losing 5-2. But coach Mike Keenan didn`t mince words about Edmonton`s effort. ”They didn`t play well at all,” he said. ”They won a game without having to put out a great deal of effort.”
Muckler said about Friday`s Game 2: ”Chicago`s going to play better, and we will, too. Our passing wasn`t sharp. The worst part was our power play. Our laziness allowed Chicago to create some great scoring opportunities.”
Where`s the captain?:Hawks captain Dirk Graham warmed up before Game 1 but didn`t play. He returned to help win Game 7 over St. Louis Monday after being out since March 17 with a cracked kneecap.
”He rode the bike today,” Keenan said. ”I thought he`d be prepared to play Wednesday. It`s a tough call right now.”